Missoula Police Report Drop in Violent Crime, Rise in Drug Seizures in 2024

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Missoula Police Department on Wednesday released its 2024 annual report, showing a decline in violent crime, a sharp increase in drug seizures and continued growth in overall calls for service.

Officers responded to 55,033 incidents last year, up 5.5% from 2022, as the city’s population and street mileage continued to grow. Despite the increase, the department reported a nearly 10% drop in felony violent crime. Misdemeanor assault cases fell by 11.4%, and partner or family member assault decreased 5.1%.

“The total number of police incidents are up 5.5% to 55,033,” Chief of Police Michael Colyer said in the report. “However, I am thrilled that felony violent crime, the most serious offenses we investigate, has decreased 9.9 percent.”

Police reported using force in fewer than 1% of all incidents, a figure consistent with 2023. A total of 382 incidents involved force, resulting in 1,117 recorded actions. The department said part of the increase was due to revised reporting definitions, such as reclassifying “firearm pointed” to “firearm displayed.”

“I am proud of our responsible use-of-force,” Colyer said, “which I attribute to hiring quality applicants, providing excellent training and equipment, close supervision and a culture of force avoidance and conflict resolution.”

The department also completed the full rollout of the Axon digital evidence system, which captured video in 99.6% of all use-of-force cases, up from 86% in 2022.

Crime and Enforcement Trends

The Missoula Drug Task Force, a multi-agency team, led a major crackdown on fentanyl in 2024. The task force seized an estimated 39,591 fentanyl dosage units, along with more than 9,800 grams of methamphetamine and 3,300 grams of cocaine.

“The Missoula Drug Task Force has prioritized fentanyl interdiction,” Colyer said, “resulting in the seizure of 35,591 dosage units—an increase of nearly 112% since 2022.”

2024 Drug Seizures

Detectives handled more than 1,000 investigations, including cases involving kidnapping, sexual exploitation and a $390,000 embezzlement scheme. Digital forensics officers processed more than 16 terabytes of evidence, according to the report.

The department also emphasized public outreach. More than 290 residents participated in active shooter preparedness courses, and school resource officers handled 1,430 incidents across 17 Missoula schools.

In total, Missoula officers logged 38,898 hours of training in 2024. The sessions included crisis intervention, case law updates, tactical leadership, and ethical conduct.

“Moving forward,” Colyer said, “we will continue to emphasize efforts to improve recruitment and retention, implement and assess new technology and seek improvements to our facilities.”

For more information readers can visit the Missoula Police Department’s website.